WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2014 SPORTS KUWAIT: Kuwait handicapped basketball team defeated Italy’s Torino team by three points, following an exciting match that was held yesterday, as competition of the third international forum began. The match was held in the pres- ence of Forum President, Shafi Al-Hajiri and a large number of officials. Kuwait’s team was led by coach Hussam Abbas and assistant Ahmad Al-Shatti. Players Nizar Ramadhan, Hamad Al-Adwani, Yousuf Khalaf, Ahmad Naqa, Fahad Nabi, Al-Failakawi, Mohammad Al-Ghareeb, Mohammad Al-Shimmari and Essa Al-Fadhly were all outstanding during the match. The match ended with the score of 51-48. Balotelli returns to Italian fray MILAN: Mario Balotelli’s return to the Italy Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, a game in fray was met with mixed reviews as the which Balotelli was conspicuously under misfiring Liverpool striker prepares to end par. Several weeks ago he was pilloried by his enforced exile with a potential appear- fans and the unforgiving British tabloids ance against Euro 2016 opponents Croatia after he swapped shirts with Real Madrid next week. Balotelli has not played for Italy player Pepe as they walked off at half-time. since their first-round exit from the World Liverpool lost 3-0 and Balotelli was Cup in Brazil and until his call-up on replaced at half-time. Sunday was left on the sidelines by new While Liverpool manager Brendan Italy coach Antonio Conte for their first Rodgers said he would “deal with the inci- three Group H qualifiers. dent internally”, former Reds great Jamie The 24-year-old striker is no stranger to Carragher hit out: “I’d be surprised to see controversy, having spent two and a half him here next season if I’m being honest.” well-documented years in the English Asked by Rai Sport on Monday for his opin- Premier League with Manchester City, ion on Balotelli, former Ajax and Barcelona where he missed 11 domestic games after hero Johan Cruyff said: “It’s a problem of taking the club to a tribunal following their education, if he had been educated well he decision to fine him two weeks’ wages for would not be like he is now.” Few commen- his poor disciplinary record. tators got behind Balotelli, although in After returning to Italy in January 2013 Tuttomercatoweb.com former Milan and for an ill-fated 18-month spell with AC Rangers striker Mark Hateley called for Milan, Balotelli signed for Liverpool in the Liverpool fans to show patience. summer but has been pilloried since hav- “Conte was right to call him up because ing failed to spark and, worse, failed to at international level you get the best out score in the league. Conte’s decision has of Balotelli,” said Hateley. “Mario is suffering left more than a few observers scratching from the fact he is being compared to Luis their heads in wonder. “Balotelli was only Suarez and I think that’s wrong. Suarez called up by Italy because of the injury suf- scored a lot of goals and was driving force fered by Lorenzo Insigne,” claimed behind Liverpool and you can’t replace guy Francesco De Luca, chief editor of Il Mattino like that. newspaper, on the football talk show Il “Of course, he (Balotelli) isn’t scoring, Processo di Lunedi. Another guest on the he’s not playing well. But Liverpool are not show, former Inter player Evaristo playing well and it’s not easy for Balotelli. Beccalossi, gave an equally unflattering “He’s lacking confidence and maybe this appraisal of Balotelli, who played for the call-up will be the spark that gets him GREECE: Tottenham Hotspur’s Jan Vertonghen controls the ball in this file photo. —AFP Nerazzurri before his move to City. going again.” Conte, meanwhile, said he “We’ve always said that Mario’s presence has not taken Balotelli’s Liverpool woes into should depend on how he is playing, but consideration. “Personally, I don’t pay atten- Tottenham Spurs seeking to it’s evident that at Liverpool he’s not per- tion to what’s being said about his club sit- forming well,” said Beccalossi. uation,” Conte said Monday when the Italy “He’s found it difficult from the start squad congregated at their Coverciano there, but Conte has selected him. In the training base near Florence. rebuild on and off the pitch coach’s defence, you have to say the strik- “Today he’s here and he has to answer to ers we have are not all top notch.” Whether me. I will judge him by what he does in the LONDON: Almost all the old buildings have firing team, full of players the Argentine did not as expected under Pochettino. “There has been on or off the field, Balotelli has courted next seven to nine days.” Italy sit second in been demolished, diggers are in place and a sign, who have made an uninspiring start to the too many changes at Spurs, Levy must stick with controversy at almost every club he has Group H behind Croatia on goal difference perimeter fence displaying images of Tottenham season. his convictions and show some faith in the new played. Reports from England on Tuesday after winning their three opening quali- Hotspur’s shiny new stadium borders the vast manager. There is no such thing as immediate said Balotelli was seen out partying at a fiers. They host the Croats at Milan’s San open space next to the North Stand at White TABLE TOPPERS success in football. Spurs have to build it.” London nightclub until 4:30a.m. following Siro ground on Sunday.—AFP Hart Lane. But like most things in Tottenham’s After winning their opening two league Right now, that’s on the pitch as well as off it. recent history, it’s not as simple as all that. Some games and topping the table for a week in One key problem is that Tottenham never ade- nondescript light industrial buildings housing a August, Spurs have lost five of their nine league quately replaced three great players who left sheet metalworking company remain and while matches since, culminating in dire displays within a year of each other: Croatian Luka Old haunt, new start they do the start of construction work on a new against Aston Villa last week and Stoke City on Modric, Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart and 58,000-seater stadium remains delayed with the Sunday. They scored two late goals to steal a 2-1 Welshman Gareth Bale, sold for a total of about for Tevez, Argentina High Court deciding early next year what com- win at Villa Park, but there was no escaping a 125 million pounds. Spurs attempted to shore pensation is due to the company who have fourth home loss of the season when they went up the gaping hole left by the departure of Bale refused to leave the site. down 2-1 to Stoke on Sunday, a result that has to Real Madrid for a world record fee of 85 mil- LONDON: Carlos Tevez will end his three-year Ezequiel Garay and Federico Fernandez all The stadium is not the only Spurs construc- left them 12th in the table. lion pounds in August last year by buying seven international exile in the familiar surround- unavailable due to injury, Martino has added tion job that has failed to get off the ground in After the defeat striker Emmanuel Adebayor, new players, most of whom have flattered to ings of Upton Park when World Cup runners- Sunderland’s Santiago Vergini and uncapped London N17. New manager Mauricio criticized the Spurs fans saying: “It’s kind of hard deceive. up Argentina tackle Croatia in a friendly in Sporting Lisbon defender Jonathan Silva to Pochettino’s ambitious plans to rebuild Spurs as a when you know the first bad ball you make the Argentina midfielder Erik Lamela, London today. Tevez has not played for his squad. Argentina have played three team that can not only challenge for a top four fans are going to boo you. “When you are play- Tottenham’s club record 30 million signing from Argentina since their quarter-final defeat on friendlies since their 1-0 extra-time loss to finish but for the Premier League title have yet to ing in front of your own crowd you want them to AS Roma, has yet to score a Premier League goal penalties by Uruguay on home soil at the Germany in the World Cup final, gaining a 2011 Copa America, when he was the only measure of revenge against Joachim Loew’s produce any tangible signs of getting past the support you. I think it might be better to play while Spanish striker Roberto Soldado, who player to miss a spot-kick. Frozen out by for- side with a 4-2 win in Duesseldorf in foundation stage. Indeed there are growing signs away from home at the moment because at joined for 26 million from Valencia, has scored mer coach Alejandro Sabella, who stood September before losing 2-0 to Brazil in that his foundations are not even in place yet. least we know beforehand we are guaranteed to just twice this season-once in the Europa League down after steering Argentina to second Beijing and crushing Hong Kong 7-0. Croatia But whether Tottenham are in a serious crisis, be booed because they want their home club to and once in the Capital One (League) Cup. place at the World Cup, Tevez has been failed to make it past the group phase in as some in the British media are claiming this win,” he said.